Silver halide color light-sensitive materials comprise a support having provided thereon a multiple light-sensitive layer composed of three kinds of silver halide emulsion layers which have been selectively sensitized so as to have sensitivity to blue light, green light, and red light. For example, so-called color papers generally comprise a support having coated thereon a red-sensitive emulsion layer, a green-sensitive emulsion layer, and a blue-sensitive emulsion layer in sequence from the side intended to be exposed to light. An intermediate layer for preventing color mixing or ultraviolet absorption or a protective layer is also provided between the light-sensitive layers or on the outermost surface.
So-called color positive films generally comprise a support having coated thereon a green-sensitive emulsion layer, a red-sensitive emulsion layer, and a blue-sensitive emulsion layer in sequence from the side intended to be exposed to light. Color negative films can have various layer arrangements, and generally comprise a blue-sensitive emulsion layer, a green-sensitive emulsion layer, and a red-sensitive emulsion layer in sequence from the side intended to be exposed to light. In some of light-sensitive materials having two or more emulsion layers sensitive to the same color but differing in sensitivity, said emulsion layers have interposed therebetween an emulsion layer having different color sensitivity and further inserted therebetween a yellow filter layer, an intermediate layer, or the like, and a protective layer may be coated on the outermost surface.
Color image formation is achieved by incorporating three photographic couplers including yellow, magenta, and cyan couplers in the light-sensitive layer and subjecting an exposed light-sensitive material to color development processing with the so-called color developing agent. It is desirable that the rate of coupling between an oxidized product of an aromatic primary amine developing agent and a coupler to develop a color should be as high as possible so as to produce a high color density within a limited development time, i.e., the coupler desirably exhibits a satisfactory color forming property. Further, the color formers are required to be distinct cyan, magenta, or yellow dyes with less side absorption and to provide color photographic images having satisfactory color reproducibility.
On the other hand, the thus formed color photographic images are required to exhibit good preservability under various conditions. It is important in order to fulfill this requirement that the rate of decoloration or discoloration of each color former being different in hue is low, and that the rate of discoloration is as uniform as possible over the entire image density area so that the color balance of the remaining dye image does not change.
Conventional light-sensitive materials, particularly color papers, undergo great deterioration of cyan dye images due to dark decoloration caused by humidity and heat over a long period of time, which is likely to result in color balance variation. Therefore, improvement of cyan dye decoloration has been keenly desired. In the prior art, light-sensitive materials that are resistant to dark decoloration are inferior in hue and provide a cyan dye image which is susceptible to discoloration or decoloration due to light. Development of novel combinations of couplers providing improved properties has, therefore, long been desired.
In order to partially overcome the above-described problem, several specific combinations of couplers have been proposed, as disclosed, e.g., in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7344/77, Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 20037/82, 57238/84 and 160141/84 (the term "OPI" as herein used means "unexamined published application"). However, these combinations are still somewhat unsatisfactory because of insufficient color forming property, poor hue of the developed color, and the like, thereby adversely affecting color reproduction, particularly causing color balance variation of the remaining dye image with deterioration due to light or heat.